When you say, “ELCA,” are you talking about the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America?
You do realize that they are not pro-life, and could be called “pro-abortion.” Here is a link to a piece written by Catholics analyzing the ELCA stand on abortion:
The ELCA and Abortion - Catholic Stand
As a church organist and someone who is active in musical events and organizations in my community, I know and have worked with many ELCA members and pastors. I can’t see how any Catholic could attend ELCA churches.
One of the churches in our city has two services–the “traditional” and the “contemporary,” and the contemporary service includes praying to deities other than the Christian God.
The ELCA is open to alternative sexualities. The church that I mentioned above welcomes a growing population of LBGTQ people and encourages them in their sexuality.
In their favor–the ELCA is very “artsy,” and many good music concerts of all styles, mainly classical, are held in their churches. One of the churches in our city is the home of an amazing music education center that attracts professional musicians and children/teens from all over our state and other states.
Many of their churches have beautiful pipe organs. They also have a style of building that makes classical concerts with large choirs feasible, while many of the Evangelical Protestant churches have very plain church buildings with a “stage” that is best-suited for Praise and Worship bands rather than orchestras. Also, many of the ELCA churches have beautiful aesthetics–stained glass, paintings and murals, statuary, woodwork (especially the German-built church buildings), steeples, carillons that still work, etc.
Also in their favor, many of the ELCA churches are located in urban areas, and are very active in working with the homeless, the poor, the prostitutes, the children who are at risk, with street gangs, alcoholics, drug addicts, etc. Several ELCA churches in our city have hired a staff of experts who work full-time with the “marginalized” people and families. I admire this greatly, and find that when “suburb” churches in the “good neighborhoods” try to do this kind of good works, it usually flops because they simply don’t have the street smarts because they don’t live in those neighborhoods and don’t understand the people and the issues.
Several of the ELCA churches have very vibrant daycare centers and preschools, which serves a real need in areas where children are at risk for a lack of school readiness.
In our city, ELCA churches are decreasing in membership, and several are down to under a hundred people. I think that their street ministries, arts, and preschools keep the churches’ doors open, as many people in the city, including me, give money to help support their very good works.
I would do some serious research before getting involved with ELCA. I love the good works, but I couldn’t be part of a church with teachings that are opposed to traditional Christian teaching. The ELCA website is very thorough with many articles about their stands on the issues.
Hope this is helpful.
